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The event took place today, 8 June, to mark World Oceans Day

Porto Cervo, 8 June 2026. To mark World Oceans Day, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) organised its annual YCCS Clean Beach Day initiative, with the patronage of the Municipality of Arzachena – as part of its AgendaBlu 2026 calendar – and carried out in collaboration with the National Research Centre (CNR) of Oristano and the One Ocean Foundation.

Now a well-established tradition for the Club, the event reflects the YCCS’ commitment to raising awareness on ocean conservation and ocean literacy, issues it considers fundamentally important for the future. Engaging the local community, and especially younger generations, is regarded as essential to safeguarding Sardinia’s natural heritage and unique beauty.

The ninth edition of the event brought together around 100 participants, including some 80 students from the lower secondary schools of Arzachena. Welcoming them to Capriccioli beach were YCCS Secretary General, Giorgio Benussi, and Michele Occhioni, Councillor for the Environment and Public Education for the Municipality of Arzachena.

The day began with a beach clean-up, during which students collected waste discarded along the shoreline and on the beach, totalling around 150 kg of mixed materials, ranging from large items to microplastics. Researchers from the CNR of Oristano, Andrea De Lucia and Andrea Camedda, then led an educational session on the topics of marine pollution, biodiversity and best practices for preserving marine ecosystems. They also presented the comic strip “Carrie, a brave turtle in a changing world”, created as part of the INDICIT project.

To make the awareness-raising aspect of the initiative even more engaging, the students were invited to create posters focusing on concrete actions to protect the sea. A clear and powerful shared message emerged from their work: “Let’s save the sea”, a simple yet meaningful call to action that reflects the growing awareness among younger generations of the environmental challenges facing the oceans.

“Through initiatives such as the Clean Beach Day, we aim to foster a culture of respect for and understanding of the sea, actively involving the local community and young people,” said YCCS Secretary General and Sports Director Giorgio Benussi. “Protecting the oceans requires everyone to contribute, and educating the younger generation is one of the most effective ways to build a sustainable future. I would like to thank all the students who actively took part in collecting the rubbish, they set an example for all of us and for visitors to the area. Thanks also go to the representatives from the Municipality of Arzachena and the CNR of Oristano for their support.”

The YCCS Clean Beach Day forms part of a long-term programme aimed at promoting a culture of sustainability and safeguarding the marine environment.

For further information please contact YCCS Press Office.